Three Chuckles

The Three Chuckles were named for a candy bar. When their agent told them that they needed a name, they saw a kid nearby eating Chuckles candy and adopted that name. Brooklyn vocalists Tommy Romano and Tommy (Russ) Gilberto, who also played guitar and bass, respectively, teamed up with accordionist Phil Benti and became the Three Chuckles in the early 1950s.

The group toured the East Coast playing various lounge-type venues, but had no recording contract. In 1953, Benti decided to quit, so Tommy and Russ recruited 15-year-old accordionist Teddy Randazzo to replace him. This lineup eventually recorded under the Three Chuckles name.

While performing at a club in New Jersey, songwriter Cirino Colacrai gave them a song called "Run Around," which they held on to. [Colacrai, incidentally, was the "Cirino" of the group Cirino and the Bow Ties who recorded for the Royal Roost label of New York.] During a stint at a lounge in Detroit, they were offered the chance to record for the new pop division of Great Lakes Records, a rhythm and blues label. The pop division was to be called Boulevard, and Runaround by the Three Chuckles was a debut for both group and label in 1953.